Food legislation passes Assembly

TRENTON — Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Ron Dancer and Parker Space making more food available to soup kitchens and food banks today won Assembly approval.
The bill encourages schools and colleges to donate excess food to feed the poor through nonprofit organizations.
“It’s shameful to throw good food in the dumpster when people who are hungry need a good meal,” said Dancer. “This is an effort to get schools to donate surplus food so that people who cannot afford it because they have fallen on hard times or are on a fixed income can feed their families. This is basic common sense.”
The measure requires the Department of Environmental Protection, working with other state agencies, to develop guidelines to encourage school districts and colleges to contribute surplus food, and to partner with nonprofit organizations to facilitate the cost-effective, safe, sanitary means for donation. It also expands the Food Bank Good Samaritan Act, providing legal immunity to school districts that donate food.
“Often, school cafeterias have considerable amounts of good, nutritious food left over every day which is thrown out because there is no other viable option,” said Space (R-Sussex). “We can help people from going hungry and, at the same time, help the environment by reducing the amount of trash generated by schools. This bill creates a process for packing and shipping this food to centers where it will feed families.”